The Shadow Knows… What Time It Is

An equatorial sundial is beautiful in its simplicity. It has only two main parts, a dial plate and a style.

The style is a rod that passes through the center of the dial plate, extending above and below it. The style is perpendicular to the dial plate, and casts a shadow onto it. The dial plate has an upper and lower dial face, both of which are marked off in hours.

Each hour is exactly 15 degrees wide. The location of the style’s shadow indicates the time. In summer months, the shadow falls on the upper face, and during the winter it falls on the lower face.

Craft your own sundial out of laser-cut and etched wood pieces, with very few tools and supplies. An equatorial sundial is more elaborate and beautiful than its common cousins, but it's easily adjusted to match your latitude and orientation to true north. So, leave your phone inside and enjoy your yard, still secure in the fact that you can see what time it is, whenever you like, but away from that tether work gave you.

The kit comes with full-color, step-by-step, clear, and amusing instructions. Each step shows a parts list, part preparation, and assembly steps. After it is built, the instructions guide you through determining your latitude and discovering the location of true north, allowing you to orient your sundial correctly for your location.

Disclaimer: ThinkGeek does not guarantee being able to tell the time in cloudy or inclement weather, or during night time hours. Always have a backup method for telling the time in such situations.

Product Specifications

Wooden Equatorial Sundial Kit

Displays the current time when the sun is out

Great for those who like to leave their phone inside but still need to know the time